Florida woman wearing only underwear slapped by Hernando deputy after spitting in his face: HCSO
Deputy strikes woman spitting in his face
A Hernando County deputy’s actions are under review after he was seen on camera slapping a woman after she spit in his face several times.
BROOKSVILLE, Fla. - A disorderly encounter in Brooksville ended with a woman in custody and a deputy's actions under review after authorities say a suspect stripped down to her underwear and repeatedly spat in a law enforcement officer's face.
The Hernando County Sheriff's Office arrested Iesha Field following a sequence of events that spanned from a gas station to a nearby neighborhood.
Gas station and mobile home park disturbance
What we know:
Deputies responded to the Texaco gas station at 101 Ponce De Leon Boulevard at approximately 2 p.m. Tuesday, following reports of a disorderly person causing a scene outside the business.
Employees told responding deputies that Field had been yelling at customers and disrupting business operations.
Deputies issued Field a formal trespass warning at the request of the store employees.
According to HCSO, Field then left the business premises and walked to a nearby mobile home park located on West Jefferson Street, where deputies continued to monitor her erratic behavior.
While at the mobile home park, investigators said she took off her clothes and was wearing only her underwear.
Field, who deputies said appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and/or narcotics, was yelling, acting belligerently, and disturbing residents, including a mother with young children.
The mother also requested that Field be trespassed from her property.
Deputies said they tried to de-escalate the situation by instructing Field, who had previous injuries to her right knee and left eye, to return to her residence.
Field, according to HCSO, refused commands, became increasingly combative, and was taken into custody.
HCSO said that during the arrest, Field resisted deputies' efforts to place her into a patrol vehicle and continued to act aggressively. Field is seen on video repeatedly trying to hit and kick deputies as they placed her in the patrol vehicle.
Iesha Field was seen on camera spitting in a deputy's face several times while being arrested. Image is courtesy of the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
Once inside the vehicle, Field continued her disruptive behavior by repeatedly banging her head and feet against the patrol vehicle window.
When deputies opened the door to address Field’s behavior, deputies said the movement she was making caused her to fall out of the vehicle.
Deputy M. LaPalme helped Field in getting back into the patrol vehicle.
During this encounter, Field is seen on body camera spitting on the left side of Deputy LaPalme’s face.
Deputy LaPalme continued to work to secure Field in the back of the patrol vehicle.
A Hernando County deputy's actions are under review after he was seen on camera slapping a woman who spit on him repeatedly. Image is courtesy of the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
Deputy strike under investigation
What they're saying:
According to the sheriff's office, Field spat directly onto the left side of LaPalme’s face as he assisted her back into the vehicle. While the deputy was buckling her into the seat, Field spat in his face a second time.
The report states LaPalme "responded with an open-handed palm strike to Field’s face to prevent her from spitting."
Sheriff's officials confirmed that multiple body cameras and an in-car camera captured the entire interaction, and LaPalme’s physical response is currently undergoing an official review.
Field arrested and charged
Dig deeper:
Deputies reported that Field continued to resist, kick, and attempt to damage the patrol vehicle during transport. Due to her continued combative behavior, additional restraints and a spit hood were utilized for the safety of both Field and responding personnel.
Field was taken to the Hernando County Detention Center, where detention staff assisted in securing her due to her continued aggressive behavior.
Image is courtesy of the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
Field was arrested and charged with:
• Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer (Felony)
• Breach of the Peace / Disorderly Intoxication
Erratic behavior
What we don't know:
Authorities have not confirmed what substance Field may have consumed prior to the incident, though deputies noted she appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, narcotics or both.
It remains unclear what sparked her initial behavior at the gas station or why she refused medical evaluation despite having visible, pre-existing injuries to her right knee and left eye.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, which detailed the timeline of events, the specific criminal charges filed against the suspect, the ongoing agency review of the deputy's use of force and provided video of the incident.